Page 86 of Beyond the Grave
He considered this for a moment then shook his head again. "He might not die for some time."
"He'll be gone in a few hours." I checked off points on my fingers. "I saw his name on his medical chart, so I can summon him. He'll know who Buchanan is, since he shares a room with him."
"We don't know that for sure."
"Once he's back in his body, he'll be strong enough to carry a man out to us, where we will be waiting in the carriage."
"He'll need to get through locked doors. Without keys, that will become noisy unless he was an expert lock picker before he entered Bedlam."
"If he hurries, the noise won't matter. He'll be gone before he's seen."
"No, Charlie."
"Why not?" I said crossly. "It's better than the alternative."
He arched a brow. "Which is?"
"That you enter and put yourself in danger." I crossed my arms and turned to look out the window. The color rose in my cheeks, but I didn't dip my head. Let him see. He already knew I cared for him anyway.
"You're worried," he said flatly.
"Of course I am! You saw that madman fly at us."
"Those tend to be locked away, it seems."
"And what about the orderlies? What if you're caught and they inject you with whatever was in that syringe? You'll fall asleep in seconds."
"Then you have my permission to do whatever it takes to rescue me."
I slumped back in the seat. "In that case, I will have to return with you tonight. Do not argue," I said when he opened his mouth. "I've decided. You need a…partner. One who's capable of raising that spirit if necessary."
He sighed. "I left myself open for that, didn't I? Charlie, I can manage alone. I always have."
"You don't need to anymore, Lincoln. You have Seth, Gus and me. We're all employed to work for you in the ministry, and it's about time you allowed us to help with more than just driving the coach or polishing the silver."
"So, you're not worried about me, you simply wish to be involved. Correct?"
I sighed. "Lincoln, you are the most capable man I know. While I've never seen you descend three flights down a drainpipe while carrying a fully grown man, I have no doubt you can manage it. However, if there is a chance that something can go wrong and a chance that I may be able to help, I'd rather be safe. So, yes, I am worried. I would hate myself for doing nothing when I could have helped, just as you would hate yourself for doing nothing if the roles were reversed. Does that answer your question?"
He stared at me for so long and with such a curious expression on his face that I wished I knew what he was thinking. But I couldn't read his thoughts the way he could read mine, so I simply came out and asked him.
"What is it? Why are you looking at me as if you're trying to see into my head?"
He quickly turned to look out the window. "Your answer was…adequate. Thank you for explaining your thoughts to me."
"I thought you could read them without an explanation."
"Not to that extent. Your emotions are as clear as crystal, but your actual thoughts are shrouded in shadows. I can't see them."
Thank God for that. At least I could retain some privacy.
When we laidout our plan, Seth and Gus insisted on both returning to Bedlam with us that night. They presented an excellent argument, involving the coach and number of horses, and after an initial refusal, Lincoln gave in. The fact that he gave in was quite an achievement. Seth and Gus congratulated themselves with pats on the back when Lincoln wasn't looking.
"Why not just speak to Harcourt?" Cook asked, over dinner in the kitchen as we discussed the plan in more detail. "Tell him you know what he done, then make him get his brother out."
"Tomorrow," Lincoln said. "Once we have Buchanan and we have had a chance to question him."
We waited until midnight before driving back across the city to St. George's Fields. It was a much faster journey, not only because there was less traffic, but also because we had four horses instead of two. Seth rode postilion on the front left horse while Gus sat in the coachman's seat. Apparently the arrangement allowed for greater control, and that, in turn, allowed for faster speeds. A smaller carriage was out of the question if we needed to smuggle an immobile Buchanan out.
